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Pro Sports Wrap - Sports Personality of the Day:Patrick Marleau

When these two AFC North heavyweights met in the first week of the season, I was way off in the Ravens surprised and unrepeatable drubbing of the Steelers. Since then, the Ravens are coming off of a devastating loss and a game that was much closer than it should have been. And this was to a team that the Steelers easily handled the week before. Last Sunday, Ben Roethlisberger put in an absolutely dominating performance to shred the Patriots and cement the team's status as contenders.


The Steelers have one of the worst lines in the NFL, but they showed signs of life against the Pats. Although their opponent's interior pass rush played well, the rest of the guys weren't quite as effective going after the quarterback. Still, right tackle Marcus Gilbert absolutely dominated, and I don't recall him ever putting his quarterback under pressure. He was also a force in run blocking, but that may be due to a very favorable matchup against the mightily struggling Rob Ninkovich. Right guard Ramon Foster wasn't quite as good in run blocking, but I also believe that he didn't give up pressure at all and was a key cog in a surprisingly stable right side.


However, the left side is still a mess with Jonathan Scott and Chris Kemoeatu. The left guard was beaten quite handily by the Pats defensive tackles, and Scott might just be the worst left tackle in the NFL right now. Props to J'Marcus Webb and Charlie Johnson who are in serious consideration for this "award".

Things look dire when you look at the two monsters they are slated against; Terrell Suggs and Haloti Ngata. After a surprisingly anonymous display against the Jags, Ngata showed the Cards whose boss in an inspired display that showed us why he gets his contract. A common misconception is that Suggs is an outside linebacker, but he actually plays most of his snaps at defensive end. Not only is he one of the best pass rushers in the game, but Suggs might just be one of the five best players against the run. The sleeping giant was always solid this season, but he has really turned up the heat the past two weeks.

The Patriots were taken down by the Heath Miller show, and I expect him to be a factor in this game. Ray Lewis is a pretty good player in coverage, but I trust that Ben will find the soft spots- like he did last week- and hit up Miller. Mike Wallace was focused on heavily in the team's last game, but I think this deep threat will have a dagger or two in this one.

I have absolutely no idea as to why Cary Williams is the starter right now.
His display in the last game that these two teams met in pretty much sums up his overall ability; he stinks. Williams gives up far too much space to receivers, and that's not exactly helpful when going up against the best deep threat in the NFL (yeah, I said it). Look, Chris Carr and rookie Jimmy Smith are better players in just about every way. Carr embodies the description of what a solid cornerback is, and Smith has the potential to be a difference-maker in the secondary.

Michael Oher owned last week, and he has been a player who I have often criticized. However, he didn't give up much pressure at all and had arguably his best game in pass pro as a pro. Marshal Yanda and Matt Birk are two of the best in the business, but I can't say the same about left tackle Bryant McKinnie. If Ben Grubbs doesn't play, Andre Gurode will be a severe downgrade at the position. Although he was fantastic the last few years with the Cowboys, Gurode has been stinking it up as a Raven.

The good news is that the Steelers defensive line hasn't been lighting it up this season. While Casey Hampton has been average and is consistently not bad, only Brett Keisel has made much of a difference for the team this season on the line.

An even bigger concern is the fact that James Harrison will miss yet another game. The best linebacker in the NFL, Harrison is obviously a huge key to what the Steelers do on defense. What makes things even worse is the team's moronic decision with regards to who they have replaced him with. Although Lawrence Timmons is one of the best inside linebackers in the NFL, the same cannot be said for his ability on the outside. Simply put; he can't rush the passer at all. I think he has only had a couple of pressures at the position, and that's simply pathetic.

It's not that he is in a funk; it's just that Pittsburgh isn't utilizing him correctly. Thus, he is struggling because he can't rush the passer at a position where that skill is put at a premium. Timmons is still making plays in run defense and hasn't been a liability in coverage, but the Steelers are best served moving him back to the inside and playing Justin Worilds. The drop off in quality from Worilds to Foote in the starting line-up is worth it. The good news is that LaMarr Woodley has been a revelation since Harrison's injury and has been one of the most productive OLBs in the NFL since that point.

I really don't get Joe Flacco right now, and his inconsistency is frustrating. This game really depends on Ike Taylor. Although penalties have been an enormous problem for him this season, he has still shown that he is one of the premier cover corners in the league. In fact, he is the only guy in the Steelers secondary who can take a competent receiver mano a mano. If he can effectively seal Anquan Boldin, then this is a win for the Steelers. If Boldin gets seven catches and rips off some big ones, then this probably isn't a win for the Steelers.

I really don't care for anybody else in the wideouts vs. secondary battle, aside from Troy Polamalu and Torrey Smith. The rookie wideout is a deep threat who doesn't do much else, and it's up to Polamalu to make sure he doesn't burn the Steelers. Do you really trust Bryant McFadden to prevent Smith from making a big play? Let's not kid ourselves, because this game rides on Flacco as it does for every quarterback in every game. However, it seems to me like this is a statement game for Flacco; we will see who he is as a quarterback.

As far as the running game goes, I think Ray Rice will be able to make himself a factor. The Steelers run defense hasn't looked impenetrable right now, so it won't take a Trojan Horse to get past the gates of Troy. No, Rice's pure ability as a runner will be enough for him to remain productive. It seems likely that he will be able to snare a few balls in as a receiver, but I don't expect him to own the Steelers. However, it is feasible to think that he will gain 80 or so yards on the ground.

Even though I like the Ravens defense more than the Steelers, there are too many "What ifs?" with regard to the Ravens offense. We have no idea as to what we will get from Joe Flacco. This is going to be a very close game, and I am going with the team who has the quarterback that I believe in. Gimme Ben Roethlisberger.
Revenge
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2011 Week 4 Preview: Jets and Ravens

October 2nd 2011 13:29
This right here is definitely the game of the week, and it features Rex Ryan, Bart Scott, and Jim Leonhard going at it against their former team. This is a matchup between two contenders who have quite a bit to prove heading into this matchup. The Ravens need to show that they are indeed for real, and the Jets really have to show that they aren't all mouth after getting run all over by Darren McFadden.

In big injury news, Nick Mangold is listed as questionable for this game, and this actually does mean quite a bit. Not only is he one of the best centers in the game, but his replacement Colin Baxter is one of the worst run-blocking offensive linemen in the league. He gets pushed around like crazy, and that more than "makes up for" his great work in pass protection. It's known fact that run blocking is far more important for centers than pass protection, and Baxter has proven to be a liability on the line overall.

While Ladarius Webb and- to a greater extent- Ed Reed have played well in the secondary, Cary Williams has been absolutely terrible this season. If you watched that Steelers game, you would pretty much know all that you need to know about this guy; he gives receivers far too much space.

I could see this being a very easy game for Haloti Ngata in run defense against Baxter, and Terrell Suggs is another high-impact player who should have a high impact in this contest. Dustin Keller has already been a force on offense for the Jets this season, and Mark Sanchez needs to continue hitting him up for the Jets to remain successful on offense. I really don't see them getting much on the Ravens defense though, and I have always been critical of Sanchez.

The Ravens tackles have been absolutely horrendous this season, but they are lucky that the Jets don't have any good pass rushers. Bryan Thomas barely qualifies as adequate, and I don't think anyone will be mistaking Aaron Maybin for DeMarcus Ware any time soon.

The Ravens interior, however, is much better and has two of the best in the business in Marshal Yanda and Matt Birk. I think Ray Rice should be okay in this game, but don't expect him to play like he has through the first three weeks. Even though they got run down by McFadden, this Jets run defense is a tough matchup.

While Lee Evans has been nothing short of disappointing and awful through his first three weeks in a Ravens uniform, Torrey Smith was exactly the opposite last week. Still, I really don't see Flacco being all that good against a very solid Jets secondary. This game is definitely going to be a battle of defenses.

For the reason stated above in that last sentence, I am going with the Ravens. Although both teams are about even defensively, the Ravens are actually good offensively. Even though I would probably take the Jets wideouts over the Ravens group, Joe Flacco and Ray Rice easily trump Sanchez and Shonn Greene.

Prediction: Ravens 20 Jets 14

MVP: Terrell Suggs (Wayne Hunter? What a joke of a tackle.)

Other picks

Cowboys over Lions
Steelers over Texans
Panthers over Bears
Chiefs over Vikings
Bills over Bengals
Titans over Browns
Redskins over Rams
Eagles over 49ers
Saints over Jaguars
Falcons over Seahawks
Giants over Cardinals
Patriots over Raiders
Packers over Broncos
Chargers over Dolphins
Bucs over Colts (How weird would that be five years ago?)
Terrell Suggs
Heeelloooo Wayne Hunter
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9/2011 Team Scope: Baltimore Ravens

September 26th 2011 14:44
The Ravens are now 2-1 after absolutely shredding the St. Louis Rams 37-7, after coming off of a very disappointing game against the Tennessee Titans. However, that loss was probably a really bad hangover from that shocking blowout victory over their sworn enemy. Looks like a dose of greasy food- an upset loss- really does work for hangovers, as the Ravens tore the Rams with their mighty claws (Torrey Smith).

Yeah, fantasy owners are now familiar with that guy (not to be confused with THAT GUY). I hate fantasy, but even I have to admit that Torrey Smith was fantastic yesterday. The numbers don't lie, as he had five catches on eight targets for a 62.5% Catch Rate. That is made all the more impressive when you consider that his Deep % was 75 (six targets of 15 yards or more). All those stats add up to a 19 point yards per target average, and arguably the best performance by a wideout this week. According to the fantasy numbers (which I hate), Wes Welker and Smith are tied at the top of the leaderboards for all players with 34 points a piece.

My main cause for concern with the Ravens lies in coverage, because Cary Williams just isn't helping the cause. He gives receivers far too much room, the Steelers game is of important note, and he really can't play on an island. It seems like he is far better in support coverage, and that really doesn't help out much as a corner. Some might say he could fit in at safety, but the Ravens already have three productive players at that position. No, what they need is corner help, and Williams has been a liability this season.

On the offensive line, Bryant McKinnie has already shown that he isn't a capable starter. Not only that, but Michael Oher hasn't been impressive at right tackle, and that's quite a surprise. He was solid as rookie on the right side of the line, and he really only struggled last year when he was forced to protect Flacco's blindside. Now back on the right side of the line, you would at least expect him to be league average. Hopefully he just needs to get re-acclimated, but I still haven't been enamored with his play in 2011.

That being said, there are four players who have once again really impressed me on the Ravens this year. These guys aren't newcomers to praise, and they are the usual suspects when things go right in Baltimore. Terrell Suggs has been a terror to tackles thus far, Ed Reed is turning back the clock in the secondary, Ray Rice has once again been the team's biggest offensive weapon, and Haloti Ngata is cementing his status as one of the best 3 techniques in the NFL today. Straight out of line, I don't need a reason to justify my praise; these guys are elite players who win their individual matchups week in and week out.
Hide Yo QB, hide you tackles, cuz there be a beast in Baltimore

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Arizona Cardinals A minus Patrick Peterson is the third best prospect in the draft, and the Cards got a bargain with Sam Acho in the fourth round. Ryan Williams and Robert Housler were also nice additions.

Atlanta Falcons C plus The trade to get Julio Jones was steep, but it was a solid move in my opinion. The addition of Akeem Dent was pretty good, but I wish the Falcons didn't trade up to get Jacquizz Rodgers.

Baltimore Ravens- C plus The Ravens filled in positions of need with Jimmy Smith and Torrey Smith. Tandon Doss and Jah Reid were also solid additions.

Buffalo Bills- C I really loved the addition of Marcell Dareus, my highest rated prospect, but the only other decent addition besides him was Aaron Williams. Even Williams wasn't really that big of an add.

Carolina Panthers- D My favorite team struck out in this year's draft. The Cam Newton pick was too risky, but that wasn't the reason why they got a D. They got Kealoha Pilares when there were quite a few better receivers on the board, and Brandon Hogan and Terrell McClain were the only good moves. Sione Fua was a decent addition, but he really isn't going to be a big enough factor for the Panthers.

Chicago Bears- C plus The Bears got a bunch of solid players in this year's draft.

Cincinnati Bengals- C plus While I love A.J. Green and think Andy Dalton is a solid QB, there were really no other good picks made by the Bengals.

Cleveland Browns A I loved what the Browns did in this draft. They hoarded picks in the Julio Jones trade, and they really beefed up their defensive line with the additions of Phil Taylor and Jabaal Sheard. Greg Little is a talented receiving prospect.

Dallas Cowboys- B minus I thought the Cowboys did a solid job in the draft. DeMarco Murray should spell the end of Marion Barber's run in Dallas. Bruce Carter will provide linebacker depth and will be a solid player after his return from a knee injury. Tyron Smith has a lot of upside, and the Cowboys won't have to play the horrible Marc Colombo anymore.

Denver Broncos- A The Broncos filled out their positions of need and have a top pass-rushing duo with Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil. The problem is that both of them have almost the same strengths and weaknesses. I wish they drafted Marcell Dareus, and the Broncos didn't even add anybody to help out their horrible D-Line. Rahim Moore brings some much-needed safety help, but he may have to move to corner. The picks of Julius Thomas and Virgil Green allow the Broncos to finally have two playable tight ends. Orlando Franklin and Nate Irving were solid choices.
No More Carson
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